Complaints give us valuable information about how to improve our services. We are committed to providing a high-quality service, but there may be times when we don't get it quite right. If anything we do does not live up to your expectations, please let us know by contacting us at your local office.
We deal with all the complaints we receive quickly and effectively, and strive to learn from the comments we receive.
Contact details for tenants in our accommodation. To make a complaint, please contact the relevant office below:
Bristol tenants: ACH Bristol – 0117 954 0433 - 2nd Floor, Eden House, Eastgate Office Park, Eastgate Road, Bristol, BS5 6XX
Birmingham tenants: ACH Birmingham – 0121 565 3384 - Floor 8, Cobalt Square, 83 Hagley Road, Birmingham, B16 8QG
Coventry tenants: ACH Coventry – 0247 531 2470 - 4 Queen Victoria Road, Coventry, CV1 3JH
Wolverhampton tenants: ACH Wolverhampton – 01902 429163 - 3rd Floor, Derwent House, 42 - 46 Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, WV1 4XB
Or alternatively, please email us with the details of your complaint using the below contact form.
Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code
We are committed to delivering an excellent service for all our customers and fully support the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code
In April 2024 the Housing Ombudsman introduced a new law to help housing providers like us deal with and respond to complaints.
This month we’re outlining the key changes of the code and sharing what we’re doing in response.
What’s new?
- A new definition. In order for housing providers to successfully handle complaints, the Ombudsman has set a clear definition of what it considers a complaint to be. This is defined as: “An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by a landlord, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting a resident or a group of residents.”
- A need for more accessibility and awareness. We must make it easy for you our customers to access the complaints process and make it as accessible as possible for you to make a complaint. As part of our process we should also make you aware of your right to access the Ombudsman’s service if you feel you need support with a complaint.
- Two clear complaint stages. The complaints process must have two stages with clear timescales set out.
- Our process must be fair and transparent with a resident-focused process.
- Putting things right. When things go wrong, we must acknowledge it and offer you a way to make things right with an appropriate remedy.
- We should have a positive complaints handling culture that uses complaints as an opportunity for continuous learning and development.
- We must demonstrate any learnings or changes made as a direct result of complaints in our annual reports.
- We must complete an annual self-assessment against the code and appoint a member of our board as champion.
You can read the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code in full here.
Our response
From the first of April we adopted the new code and responded to the consultation on good practice. We revised our policies and procedures in-line with the code and completed a self-assessment against them. We’re also making staff aware of the changes with training and new objectives to keep it a focus. In addition to this we are making changes to our system so as to enable systematic reporting and monitoring of all complaints thereby providing us with one version of the truth. We’ll also be addling a link to our Complaints policy on all feedback and survey documentation and have also appointed a complaints Housing Committee Champion.
Alongside the development of our new complaints process and completing our self-assessment form we have reviewed all 2023/24 complaints and have provided a report to both our Housing Committee and The Board. The Board have responded to this report. Details of all the above can be accessed using the following links:
